The Man of Sanae Street
by ForbiddenDreams13
Summary: Should you walk down Sanae Street after dark, don't get caught by the man that wanders it. If you do, chances are you might not live to tell about it. Kurama gets an up-close and personal look at the urban legend captivating the girls at Meiou High.


**Welcome new and old readers to another spooky tale! Please** ** enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey, have you heard about The Man of Sanae Street?"

"No. Who's he?"

Kurama ears pricked up. Normally he didn't pay much mind to the gossip of his classmates, but the name of that street gave him pause.

"They say that sometimes, a mysterious man hangs out on that street after dark. If walk by him, he'll follow you. If he catches you before you reach the end of the street, he'll drag you away for eternity."

"I heard he's not even a man at all!" Another girl chimed in. "he's just a being that takes the form of a man, but can never get the face right. And that seeing his face is what causes his to drag you away."

"Some people say he doesn't even have a face! Just this empty void that sucks you in!"

Shaking his head, Kurama chuckled and flipped a page of his book. Figured. Leave it to schoolgirls to gossip about strange nonsense.

"Something funny, Shuichi?"

Kurama glanced up from his book to see Kaito leaning against his desk, peering down at him. The psychic gave the fox a smile. Kurama smiled back and inclined his head towards the two girls chatting a few desks away.

"Apparently Sanae Street is rumored to be haunted. Rather ridiculous if you ask me."

"Oh?" Kaito quirked an eyebrow and leaned against Kurama's desk. "What makes you say that?"

"Because Sanae is one of the streets I walk going to and from school, and I've never encountered anything strange, much less any man who tries to drag me away." Kurama replied.

Kaito shrugged. "In all fairness, you're not the best measurement tool, my friend."

Kurama shut the book, annoyed. "And why is that?"

"If there was something strange on that street, do you think it would show itself to you? You do know who you are, right?" He folded his arms across his chest.

Kurama sighed. "Fair enough."

The shrill ringing of the bell ended their conversation. Students scurried back to their desks. Notebooks flew open and pencil bags rattled as their contents were rifled through. The classroom door slid back. A few stragglers trudged through the door followed by the homeroom teacher. Kurama sat up straight, all thoughts of Sanae Street forgotten.

* * *

A harsh gust of wind whipped by, its frigid claws knifing right through Kurama's coat. The fox shivered. Dead leaves danced around his feet, kicked up by the chill breeze. The sun hovered just above the horizon, a dying orange blob, bleeding out the last of its light. The streetlights had already come on. Dusky, yellow lights that swept the encroaching shadows back into adjacent alleyways. At least for the time being.

Kurama stuffed his hands in his pockets and exited the school gate. He'd stayed a bit later than usual on account of yet another club trying to get him to join. It was rather annoying, He had made it clear to several club officers at the beginning of the year that he had no interest in joining them. Yet very few of them listened it seemed.

Taking in a large lungful of freezing air, Kurama blew it out slowly, watching the smoky white cloud drift and dissipate. He walked the darkening streets of town, lost in thought. Cars zipped by on the street, their headlights cutting a swath through the shadows. A few people passed him by. A polite nod here, a smile there, just the average exchange between evening commuters. Kurama passed a corner café. Inside, a young couple sat at the bar, sipping from steaming mugs.

_Maybe I should put on a pot of tea when I get home, _Kurama thought. Then again, his mother might already have a pot going.

Kurama turned left at the café and went east. As he did, he took a glance up at the street sign. Stamped onto the green metal were the words _Sanae St._

His classmates' conversation came back to him along with Kaito's comments. For a moment, he considered talking an alternative route. Reality caught up with him and he rolled his eyes. What was he thinking? If something was amiss along this street, he'd know. Shaking his head, Kurama turned down Sanae and continued his walk. The street grew less lively as he walked, shops and businesses giving way to homes. He followed the sidewalk, winding around a large house and cutting through the alley behind it. A stray cat stared at him from atop a trashcan as he passed, its fur fluffed against the cold. Kurama tried to coax it closer, but it glared at him. Taking the hint, Kurama walked on. He paused at the mouth of the alley, staring at the houses across the way. Unlike the warm, cozy homes from earlier, these were dark and cold. No light shone from their windows, large FOR SALE signs jutted out from the ground. Yards that were supposed to be cut had started to grow wild once more, threatening to drag the signs into the earth. The city workers were slacking off, it seemed. Fresh coats of paint gleamed sterile white in the gathering dark. Rows of little empty houses, waiting for dolls to occupy them. So far, no one had purchased a house yet. Kurama wondered when that would change.

Behind him, the stray cat yowled, breaking the fox from his stupor. Re-shouldering his school bag, Kurama made his way up the street. A right turn at the end of Sanae, and he'd be home with a hot cup of tea waiting for him. As he walked, he glanced at the newly built houses. Many of them were of the same design – a typical trait of suburbia. About a quarter of the way down the street, he saw something that made him stop. Squinting, he frowned. Was it him, or was there someone standing a little ways up ahead? Curious, but cautious, Kurama slowed his pace. Sure enough, he could see a person standing just beyond the glow of a streetlight. It was hard to tell, but the person looked male, and was of average height. His head was bent down and his hands dangled at his side. The man gave no indication that he heard the fox's approach.

Kurama edged towards the street as he drew closer. Who was this man? What was he doing just standing there? The gossip from earlier flashed through his mind. Kurama stared at the figure. Could it be true?

He shook his head. No. It couldn't be. Squaring his shoulders, the fox resumed his confident stride. He walked beneath the man's streetlight, nodding to him as he crossed the diameter of the circular pool of light.

"Good evening." He said.

No response.

He threw the man a sidelong glance. Odd. Maybe he was on something? Kurama shrugged and kept walking. It didn't concern him. As he continued his way up the street, the sound of footsteps behind him caught his attention. Kurama glanced over his shoulder and saw that the man was now shuffling along behind him. Fear's needle pricked his skin, but Kurama was quick to yank it out. No big deal. So this guy was following him. Pure coincidence. After all, this man's presence wasn't arousing his spiritual awareness, so it was nothing.

_Still, _he thought, _maybe I should speed up just a little. Just because he's not the man of the legend doesn't mean he's not a mugger or something. And I'd rather not have to deal with a human assailant. _

And so, Kurama quickened his pace. So did the man behind him. Glancing down at the sidewalk, Kurama pulled to the left, watching the man's shadow as it slid the same direction. Kurama then drifted to the right. Again, the man matched his movements. Kurama rolled his eyes. This was getting annoying. Kurama sped up again, his walk evolving into a brisk trot. So did the man.

Great. He was going to have to deal with this after all. As Kurama was contemplating whether or not he should unleash a quick spray of dream flower pollen, he felt fingertips graze his shoulder.

He spun around, hand reaching up for his rose whip. What he saw froze him to the spot.

The gossip of the girls did not do the being before him justice. It wasn't a slightly off appearance, nor was it am empty void. Instead, the features of this thing's 'face' kept shifting, rippling and undulating like the waves of the sea during a violent storm. Sockets flowered open and eyes budded inside them. The slick, jellied balls squishing against each other as they vied for dominance of the limited space. Mouths split open and just as quickly sewed themselves shut. Cartilage swam beneath the skin as several noses searched for the best place to form. The hair atop its head squirmed as if it were alive. The creature's hand was still raised. Kurama saw that it had way too many fingers. Long, pale and with two more knuckles than necessary, they protruded from any space imaginable. Even from the wrist itself.

The instinct to fight fled him. Spinning on his heel, Kurama turned and followed it, sprinting down the sidewalk. The being behind him gave chase. A series of squishes and cracks met his ears. Against his better judgement, Kurama glanced behind him.

Its disguise unraveled as it ran. A foot struck the pavement and a berry patch of toes burst through the shoe. The rest of the foot came next, twisting and distorting. Holes opened up along its jeans as unidentified knots of flesh squirmed their way out. The monster's shirt tore open as two bony arms unwound themselves from around its torso. The being toppled forward, catching itself with its new hands. Spinal vertebrae strained against the skin like horses against their tether. Three pairs of floating rubs reared back inside the chest cavity before punching through it. They skittered on the ground like the limbs of an insect.

Heart in his throat, Kurama ripped his eyes from the sight and doubled his speed. What the hell was this thing? Why had it not appeared to him before now? Why had his spirit awareness not tipped him off? A chilling through struck the fox as he ran.

_What if this thing isn't a spirit or demon at all? What if it's something Spirit World can't or won't identify?_

Kurama looked towards the end of the street. It wasn't far. If the rumors were true, then this thing wouldn't follow him past Sanae Street. He just had to make it to the corner. He just had to make it to his street.

Something thick and slimy wrapped around his ankle. With a yelp, Kurama hit the ground. Purple flowers of pain blossomed in his skull. Kurama fought through the storm of petals, shooting a glance down at his ankle. A long, gray tongue slithered further up his leg, determined the drag him back. Kurama took a quick glance at his pursuer. The unholy amalgamation of limbs, flesh and orifices sat up. Its head flattened, and the neck pulled back into the torso. A bloodless gash lolled open on its belly from which the tongue ensnaring him emerged. The slick coil grew taut and the hole widened. Kurama felt sick as he saw eyes of different colors peering at him from within. His foot jerked as the beast began to pull him towards its gaping maw.

Desperate, Kurama plucked a weed from a crack in the sidewalk. It was dead and almost crumbled to pieces in his fist, but it would have to do. With a surge of spirit energy, the plant blossomed anew and transformed. Pointed leaves grew sharp and the stalk widened to form a graspable handle. His weapon complete, Kurama brought it down on the tongue. Watery gray blood spewed from the wound. The creature shrieked and Kurama felt its grip slacken. He scrambled to his feet and bolted down the street. He made it to the end of Sanae and booked a hard right. About a couple hundred feet from the corner, he stopped to catch his breath. Not wanting to do so, but needing to know if he was still in peril, Kurama looked behind him.

Nothing. That thing hadn't followed him. In fact, Sanae Street itself was now empty. Devoid of the hellish thing it spawned. Kurama stood for a moment, trying to wrap his head around what took place mere moments ago. He hadn't felt anything, hadn't smelled anything, there had been no warning leading up to what had befallen him. Nothing to indicate that he had nearly joined the legion of flesh that stalked Sanae Street.

In the end, he gave up trying to rationalize it and turned and headed for home. As he did, he thought about the new houses along Sanae. He shivered.

_I hope they don't sell, _he thought.

* * *

**Not as strong of an ending as I would have hoped here. **


End file.
